Foodie Friday Breaded Swiss Pork Chops

Think about a classic Chicken Cordon Bleu but substitute pork for the chicken and peppery Swiss Chard for the ham and you have a Foodie Friday Breaded Swiss Pork Chop.

Breaded Swiss Pork Chops (Prep. time about 40 minutes.  Single serving recipe. Adjust amount of ingredients as needed)

½ lb. center cut pork chop (1” thick) (room temperature)

1 leaf Swiss chard (I used red chard for color), center rib removed

1 slice Swiss cheese

Salt

Cracked black pepper

1 egg

¼ C all purpose flour

½ C panko bread crumbs

1 Tb. onion flakes

Heat oven to 350.  While the oven preheats, wash the Swiss chard leaf and remove the thickest part of the center rib (save the stem for other dishes like sautéed chard with garlic, onions and cous cous). Thoroughly pat the Swiss chard dry. Cut a deep pocket along the edge of the pork chop, slicing very close to all three edges to accommodate the filling.  Salt and pepper the inside and outside of the pork chop.  Beat egg. Stir salt and pepper into the all-purpose flour.  Roll the Swiss chard leaf around the Swiss cheese, tucking in the edges so the “package” is about the same length as the opening in the pork chop and tuck the filling into the meat.  Roll the chop into the flour, then egg and panko bread crumbs.  Gently pat to make sure the coating adheres and the opening is closed.  Sprinkle the coated chop with the onion flakes and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake 20-30 minutes until the pork is done and the cheese in the center is melted. (Check the meat in one of the ends with a thermometer for doneness.  Remove the chop when the internal temperature reaches about 145.)  Allow the chop to rest about 10 minutes. It will continue to cook after it is removed from the oven. Do not over-cook the pork.  It takes less time since it is sliced almost in half and cooks like a much thinner cut of meat.

Serve with a drizzle of hot pork or other gravy and a side dish of potato salad, mashed potato, rice or pasta.